2012 Feb 15 Racy Reds: Romantic Wines That Will Seduce
“Grape Press” is a regular magazine column in which we recommend wines to suit various occasions and price points.
Whether it’s a love affair with the grape or choosing that fine bottle to share with someone special, only fools rush in.
Champagne is often the first choice to whet just about any appetite, but its high acidity can be tough on stomachs, especially when served as an aperitif without food. Rosé wines can make for a cheerful mood, but not a lot of them are sold in China. As stock moves slowly, many are sadly out of condition by the time they are sold. While there are plenty of whites that make attractive partners, this month we’re focusing on that quintessentially Chinese color: red. But if you want to impress your date, don’t necessarily go for the well-trodden. Grand Cru Classé red Bordeaux may have a price tag that turns heads, but it is rarely seductive on the palate, especially when young.
This month’s wine selections are all hearty reds with plenty of body and staying power – lush, plush and what even wine professionals would term “sexy.”
ONE TO QUAFF
2008 Mitolo Jester Shiraz, McLaren Vale, South Australia
(RMB 340, Links China)
Available at Danieli’s, Centro
Dark ruby in color. The nose has seductive blueberry and black cherry fruit with a hint of oak. Full-bodied, dry with medium acidity, chewy medium tannins, well-balanced alcohol and impressive length.
ONE TO DRINK
2007 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine Vieux Télégraphe, Rhône, France
(RMB 600, Mercuris)
Available at Maison Boulud, Phrik Thai
Deep ruby in color. The nose has rich strawberry and red cherry Grenache fruit with some darker black fruits and beautiful oak. Dry, full-bodied, medium acidity, robust tannin, high alcohol and excellent length.
ONE TO SAVOR
2007 Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy
(RMB 905, EMW)
Available at LMPlus, Ristorante Sadler
Amarone is about as sexy as wine can get. Deep ruby with a gorgeous nose of dried red cherry and cranberry fruit with myriad spices. Dry, full-bodied with coating high tannins, high alcohol, medium-high acidity and wonderful length.
Edward Ragg is co-founder, with Fongyee Walker, of Dragon Phoenix Wine Consulting, China’s leading independent wine consultancy and education service (www.longfengwines.com). They write for the world’s wine magazines and several publications in China.
Click here to see the February issue of the Beijinger in full.
You might also be interested in :
Grape press: Cool As Ice
“Grape Press” is a regular magazine column in which we recommend wines to suit various occasions and price points.
Chinese New Year is one of those festivals in which wine is now a gift of choice. Ice wine has in recent years become increasingly popular, and not only for gifting purposes.
But what is ice wine? It’s a dessert wine made from grapes which, in the Northern Hemisphere, are harvested as late as December or even January. Only healthy berries are picked in conditions around -10°C. After the fruit is pressed in the winery, the frozen water is removed, leaving only a thick, concentrated nectar for fermentation. In fact, the sweetness of ice wine affects the alcohol content. Most yeasts die when the alcohol reaches a level of 5-10 percent ABV – there’s just too much sugar for the poor yeast to survive! So if you see an ice wine listed as 15 percent ABV, it can’t be the real deal.
Back For More: Yi House Restaurant
Yi House (formerly known as Fennel) offers a hotel brunch like few others. It’s a more thoughtful, intimate model based on a limited a la carte selection – similar to that of Maison Boulud. The menu is divided into four sections (starters, mains, Asian and desserts) from which diners can order any four dishes. With a larger group you can sample everything, but as long as you’re not dining alone you’re in for a diverse experience.
Gao Gao Spicy Hot Pot: Cook-It-Yourself With a Taiwanese Twist
Beijing isn’t lacking for hot pot spots, so when a new one appears, even enthusiasts might ask “Why bother?” Gao Gao answers that question with high-quality ingredients and a commitment to recreating the freshest Taipei hot pot.
Fit For a King: Feast Offers a New All-You-Can-Eat Option
The first thing that strikes you about Feast is that it’s a fine-looking restaurant. Of course, nobody really comes to a place like this to enjoy the design, so it’s just as well that the all-you-can-eat offerings deliver. Mix up your own salad to ease yourself in, and try not to overindulge in the bread and cheese selection – you’re going to need every inch your stomach allows.
Malay Day: Malaysian Cuisine at Little Nyonya
Since the term nyonya refers to the women of Chinese communities in Malaysia and Singapore, pretend with me for a second that Little Nyonya, the restaurant, is an actual woman. She’d be the kind of gal you could take home to meet your mom: reliable and demure, not the most glamorous, but someone you can settle down with. She does, after all, know how to cook.
